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July 30, 2008

Psychedelic Treatment

PSYCHEDELIC TREATMENT

"Magic mushrooms" bring to mind hippie trips in the 60's. But these days, doctors are doing human trials with the active ingredient in the mushrooms, psilocybin. Doctors think psilocybin can ease anxiety caused by a terminal illness.

Annie Levy thought she was done with cancer, but when it came back in 2006, it was terminal. Annie was filled with thoughts of death, so she started looking into alternative treatments. She discovered the work being done with"magic mushrooms."

Annie was treated under the care of a psychiatrist researching the effects of psychoactive drugs on advanced-stage cancer patients. She talks to guest host Aaron Henkin about how the treatment changed her view of her own mortality.

RELUCTANT LANDLORD

The housing slump is forcing many homeowners across the country into becoming landlords.

Anne Trubek was hesitant to convert her vacant home into a rental property. She had tried for many months to sell her home but got no offers. Under the pressure of paying two mortgages, Anne moved tenants into the house - and eventually had to clear out their belongings after they moved away.

Anne talks to Dick Gordon about how being a landlord has changed her view of achieving the American Dream through home ownership.

Read Anne's essay about the lessons she's learned while renting her home during the housing slump

Larry Gibson and Dennis Golay are in their 60s. They've been together for 27 years, and both have felt the side effects from their HIV medications. Despite their wavering health, Larry and Dennis have outlived 60 of their closest friends. They talk with Dick Gordon about how they maintain their optimism - and how a pact they made two decades ago keeps them moving forward.

When Jill Hollis first appeared on The Story in November of 2006, she’d been living with the diagnosis of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) for several years. She expressed a kind of wonder at how the disease had changed her life for the better. These days, Jill is still filled with gratitude, but her view of ALS continues to evolve. Also in this show: My 500 Things

When Ruth Lubic was training to be a nurse in the 1950s, women in maternity wards were given drugs to erase memories, and were often restrained with handcuffs to keep them from reaching for their newborn babies. After giving birth to her baby on her own terms, Ruth decided to become a nurse-midwife. The problems she faced finding work and creating the first free-standing birth clinic in the country are both funny and depressing. Also on the show: the importance of traveling light.

This week, Anita Woodley and her one-woman play, "Mama Juggs," will be performing in the New York International Fringe Festival. The show revolves around Anita, her family members, and breasts. In the play, a teenaged Anita struggles with puberty. A grown-up Anita learns to breastfeed her son. Anita’s great-grandmother dispenses advice through song, and Anita’s mother, Mable-Marie, is diagnosed with breast cancer. Also in this episode: another in our series of listener stories of summer jobs. And, the gum wall.

Economic decline has left Detroit with many abandoned buildings. Jim Griffioen lives in the city and has been documenting the destruction of some of those buildings by "scrappers," people who strip abandoned buildings of valuable metals.

Angela Angelle was living in a trailer and struggling to provide for her seven kids. Eventually the electricity was cut off and a neighbor told children's services. Angela was given two options—go to a homeless shelter or lose custody of her children. Also on the show: a photographer talks about her most memorable portraits of Muhammad Ali.